Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) gather data at population level on hearing and sight loss and (b) improve delivery of services for people with hearing and sight loss.

Data is already collected showing the number of adults and children registered as being blind or partially sighted with local authorities in England. The Department do not have any plans to collect data on hearing loss. Where sight or hearing loss leads to a social care need, local authorities are responsible for assessing individual’s eligibility for care and support. The Action Plan on Hearing Loss (2015) sets out key objectives on hearing loss including, prevention, early diagnosis, maximising independence, and enabling people to take part in every-day activities.

‘Commissioning Services for People with Hearing Loss: A Framework for Clinical Commissioning Groups’ was published in July 2016. This framework supports the newly established integrated care boards in England to make informed decisions on maximising value for local populations and provide consistent, high quality, integrated care. It also addresses inequalities in access and outcomes between hearing services.